Conduit



@et @D @934. y L 53g FLOREZ ,975,S32

j ZZ 12 CONDUIT Filed Sept. (El, 1931 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Pecemeeloei-9,1934 y I I 1,975,832

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CQNDUIT Luis de Florez, Plomfret, Conn. Application` September 3, 1931, Serial No. 560,952 4 Claims. (Cl. 137-75) This invention relates to method and means fluids is not regular either as to location, rate, for anticipating the failure of fluid conduits due or degree, and the same is true of the distortion to diminution of the wall thickness thereof in of metal under the influence of heat and pressure. service. The invention is concerned generally Countless unforseen breakdowns in oil refineries 5 with the treatment of conduits carrying fluids have demonstrated that periodic inspection of 60v under severe conditions of stress, such as high the lines during Scheduled Shut-dOwns iS It a pressures and/or temperatures, whereby the dependable safeguard against the danger of faildanger incident to the failure of such conduits is ure during operation. Cracking still tubes have minimized. More particularly the invention is many times appeared perfectly sound at an in- 10 directed to pipes and tubes, for use in oil refinspection period and then failed shortly after be- 65 eries, of such a character that a reliable and ing put back H'CO SBIVCB- The great DSCGSSY 0f readily observable indication of impending failpreventing failure of conduits in service therefore ure of such equipment is available. gives the present invention unusual utility and The refining of petroleum involves an exceedcommercial importance.

l5 ingly large amount of fluid transportation In my above-mentioned application Ihave de- 10 through conduits in which the flowing fluid is scribed a method of anticipating the failure of under highpresgure or high temperature or both. receptacle walls due to corrosion and/or erosion The inflammable character of the oil presents a of the inner surfaces thereof which consisted in re hazard of high degree which necessitates uninducing a localized failure of the wall well in usual precaution in the handling and transporadvance of the general failure of the entire re- 75 tation thereof. Experience has demonstrated ceptacle. The localized failure is free from the that a majority of the accidents involving dedangers incident to a general failure and at thev struction of life and property by fire in oil resame time serves as an unmistakable indication fineries has been due tothe unexpected failure of impending-general failure by reason of the of conduit walls due to an excessive diminution fluid efllux from the receptacle wall. In order to 80' of the wall thickness. induce suchl localized failure, the Wall is provid- The diminution of wall thickness during served with a plurality of openings extending parice in conduits for carrying petroleum through tially through the wall from the outer surface the various stages of'renning may be caused by thereof. 'I'he diminution of the wall thickness corrosion or erosion of the inner surface of the due to corrosion and/or erosion will eventually 85l walls. It may also result from overheating causcause small apertures to form at the base of the ing distortion of the walls in the case of conduits said openings permitting a thin trickle of fluid exposed to high temperatures. The latter is a to pass through the wall while the wall as a whole potent source of 4danger in the case of such speis still strong enough to resist the tendency tocial service conduits as cracking still'tubes and ward general failure. The observation of such 9,0l

, the like which are subjected to direct or indirect fluid ellux from the wall is then a reliable indiheating in a furnace. The high temperature to cation 0f the imDeIwl-ngk general failure 0f Vthe which the meta1 of the tube is subjected under receptacle and the danger of such failure may such conditions materially weakens its strength thus be averted.

40 and, in conjunction with the pressure of the oil AS diSelOSed in mycsaid @Opending application, 9 passing through the tubes, may induce a disthe invention may be safely and practicably aptortion of the walls. The diminishing of the plied to conduits carrying fluids under high preswall thickness due to such distortion Will evensures and/or temperatures such as are met with tually result in a failure of the tube with frequent in the rening 0f Detl'lellm- A particularly adserious consequences to operators and to adje- VantageOuS eld iS COIldlltS Such aS Cracking still 100 Cent equipment, tubes which are subject to high pressure on the Prior to the invention disclosed in my cofluid side and to direct high temperature furnace pending application Serial No. 523,825, filed gases or flames on the outer surface. In these March 19, 1931, no reliable method was availconduits the danger of failure lies more in distorl able whereby the failure of such fluid conduits tion of the metal walls due to localized overheat- 105 could be anticipated. Periodic interruption of ing than in diminution of Wall thickness by dioperation and inspection of equipment is the rect wear due to corrosion or erosion although the general practice in oil refineries but such provlatter are frequently important factors. As precedure is but partially successful in coping with viously noted, such distortion of tube wall canthe problem. The corrosive and erosive action of not be anticipated either as to location, rate, or 110 degree andy consequently ne method based upon periodic inspection lof the tubes is dependable as a safeguard against the failure of the tube during service in a cracking still and the consequent 5 fire hazard. The invention of my said applicaof the invention isV its simplicity and safety which is quite apparent in the application to cracking n Yquently, when the conduits are to be covered still tubes. The character of the openings Yprovided in the wall ofthe tube and extending partiallyY therethrough is such as not to affect materially the overall strength of the tube. Consequently, y a large number of such openings may be providedY along the length of the tube in order to cover the' maximum number of points at which distortion may occur and when pre-failure occurs the tube Will still be strong enough to resist general failure even though localized failure occurs at more than one point. Y

The presenti invention embodies certain iniprovements upon the invention set forth in my co-pending application SerialrNo. 523,825 filed March 19, 1931. Y

It is desirable to avoid any further weakening of the' walls at the openings by reason of the effect of the atmosphere in contact with the ccnduits. In many industrial plants and particularlyin many phases-of oil renery practice, the atmosphere surrounding the conduits has an appreciable corrosive or oxidizing effect upon the metal. It will be apparent that if rust or scale 35, is allowed te form in the openings, the thickness of the wall at the bottom of the openings may be unduly reduced and a localized failure mayV occur which will not be a true indication of the imv pending general failure of the conduit. If such 40 conditions are not anticipated and guarded against the provision of the small openings in the outer surface of the conduit walls will not be a strictly dependable indicating means.

When the conduits under consideration are in the form of bare or uncovered pipes or tubes, a

suitable protective material may be packed into the small openings in the pipe wall. This material should be of such character that the deleterious effect of atmospheric conditions is lessenedfwhile the flow of flnid fromthe opening at filled with a plastic material, such as tar, which will actas a protective agent for the metal with respect to the surrounding atmosphere and atY the same time will have no undesirable chemical effect upon the metal itself. The tar or other material used must, of course, be of such a character that it will readily yield to the pressure of fluid emerging from the wall when an aperture is formed at the base of the small opening.

In the case of pipes or tubes which are subjected to high temperature gases, as for example cracking still tubes, or in the case of pipes which carry fluids at extremely high temperatures, the protective material which is used to fill the small openings may advantageously consist of a re- 0 fractory cement. As is hereinbefore pointed out,

the customary cause of failure in the case of tubes operating at high temperatures is the distortion of the metal due to overheating of thel tubes.' When such phenomena occur the enlarged diameter of the openings will cause' the refractory cement'to spall from theiopenings, thus nermitting the free ow of fluid therefrom when an aperture is formed. In this connection, it is to be notedthat the refractory cement selected must be of such a character that it will not form iron silicates or other deleterious compounds with the metal of the tubes. In order to assure pljoper functioning of the small openings providedY in the conduit walls, the*v iiuid eiliux from such openings must berimmediately and quickly visible to an inspector.n Consewith thermal insulating material, it is necessary to provide means for insuring the visibility of the fluid eiux resulting from localizedYY pre-failure. As shown in the accompanying drawing, various methpds may be used in solving this problem, as for example the insertion of small tubes'through the insulating material to the outer pipe surface in such a manner as to permit a free flow of fiuid from the Wall. In the accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters denote like parts,

Figure 1 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional view of the conduit wall, showing one opening partially extending therethrough from the outside;

Figure 2 illustrates the application of the invention to uncovered pipesand the method of preventing undesirable scaling or oxidization of themetal in the small openings; and f Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 show respectively several methods of applying the invention to insulated or covered pipes.

Referring now to Figure 1, 10 is a section of the wall of a conduit shown in cross-section with an opening 12, partially extending through the Wall to its outer side. The initial thickness of the wall is t and the depth of the opening is tent upon the necessary factor of safety for the y onduit. The diameter of the small opening 12 is of such an order of magnitude as will permit openings without impairment of the overall strength of the wall.

In the drawing, dis shown as aboutonehalf of t, but the invention is not limited to this particular'ratio, since the relatively small cross-sectionalarea of'- the opening prevents the localized reduction in the factor of safety from materially changing theY overall factor of safety of the conduit.VY Y' It will be noted that any circumstance which tends to diminish the wall thickness of the conduit will occasion a localized failure at the base of the opening 12, before a general failure of the conduit; when this occurs an aperture formed at 12 permits the' escape of fluid from within the conduit directly through the wall at the point of failure and thus gives warning of the impending general failure of the conduit.

As indicated in Figure 1, the openings 12 may advantageously have a conical base. The initial size of the aperture formed by' localized failure of the wall 10 at this point is thereby minimized, whiie still providing for a perceptible flow through the opening. In this way, impairment of the operating strength of the conduit due to the formation of the aperture is further guarded against. The initial flow through the opening in the wall will be very small, although suiiicient to be observed, andinecessary reinforcement or Ythe provision of a substantial number of such i replacement measures may be taken immediately. It is to be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited to the particular form discussed above, but that the small openings 12 may have bases which are of any desired shape.

In Figure 2, the conduit 14, which may for example comprise a cracking still tube or a section of an uncovered transfer line, is provided with a plurality of small openings 12 extending partially through the wall 10 of the conduit from the outer side thereof. The openings 12 are initially lled with a protective material 16 for the purpose of preventing oxidation or corrosion in the opening. The material used will depend upon the service for which the pipe or tube 14 is intended. Tubes intended for the conveying fluids through the heating chambers of a furnace, as in a cracking still, may advantageously have the openings 12 filled with a refractory cement in order to prevent scaling at this point due to the effect of the flame and the furnace gases. If, upon the other hand, the pipe 14 is intended for service in the conveyance of unheated fluids and is not subjected to the influence of high temperature gases or furnace flames, the protective material 16 filling the openings 12 may comprise tar or similar substances which will not react with metal of the tube but will effectively prevent rusting or other action of the atmosphere on the metal.

In Figures 3, 4, 5`an'd 6 are shown conduits 14 having their outer surfaces covered with in sulating material -18 and provided with openings 12 partially extending through the wall 10 of the conduit. 'In the case of such covered pipes, it is necessary to provide means for observing a fluid eillux from the wall 10 by reason of failure at a point 12. In the figures noted, three methods of accomplishing this are illustrated.

In Figure 3 the conduit 10 is shown provided with small wires 20 extending therefrom at the location of the openings 12. The wires are initially lightly fastened to the conduit wallv and are of sufficient length to protrude from the outer surface of the thermal insulation 18 after the same has been placed upon vthe conduit. After the conduit has been so covered, the wires 20 may then be withdrawn and the small channels through the insulation thus formed will provide for the passage of fluid therethrough at a time of localized failure at 12. Alternately the covered conduit may be put into service without withdrawing the small wires 20, in which -case the fluid emerging from the openings 12 will pass along the Wires 2O and thus be observable at-the .outer surface of the insulation.

It is to be clearly understood that the modification illustrated in Figure 3 is not intended to be limited to the use of wires only. Analogous expedients may obviously be adapted to insure the visibility of fluid eillux from the openings 12 when the conduit 10 is covered with insulation 18. For example, the elements 20 in Figure 3 may comprise small channel shaped or longitudinally grooved bars of metal or other suitable material which will provide a fluid passageway through the covering 18. Therefore, the word wires as used in the specication and claims is intended to denote any element of the character described which may logically fall within the scope of the above definition.

In Figure 4, small cylindrical tubes 22 extend through the insulation at the location of the openings 12. Fluid passing through an aperture formed at 12 will then flow through the tube and be observable from the outer side of the insulation.

Figures 5 and 6 show still anothermethod of insuring the visibility of a yfluid efllux from the wall in the case of covered conduits. Annular rings 24 are placed along the pipe at regular intervals. The rings 24 are made of thin sheet metal serving to divide the insulation 18 into a plurality of tubular sections. The drawing shows thin rings 24 spaced along the pipe to include two openings 12 between adjacent rings, but the invention is not limited to this particular' as sembly and the rings 24 may advantageously be spaced along the pipe 10 to include more than two openings 12 between adjacent rings. If desired, the rings 24 may also be located between adjacent openings 12. Upon formation of an aperture at 12 the fluid passing through the Wall will run along the outer surface of the wall 10 to the nearest annular ring or dividing plate and subsequently will spread over the surface of the plate 24 and become observable at the outer surface of the insulation. Figure 6 is a sectional view of the conduit 10G shown in Figure 5, taken through one of the dividing plates 2,4, and shows the general assembly.

I claim:

1. A conduit for conveying fluids under superatmospheric pressure and high temperature comprising a metal tube provided with a plurality of small openings extending partially through the tube wall from-the outer side thereof adapted to form apertures permitting fluid flow directly through said wall upon diminution of the wall thickness in service, the cross-sectional area of said openings being small enough to permit a substantial number thereof in the wall without materially affecting its strength, thermal insulation covering the outer surface of said tube and means for insuring the visibility of the fluid flow from said apertures.

2. A conduit for conveying fluids under superatmospheric pressure and high temperature comprising a metal tube provided with a plurality of small openings extending partially through the tube wall from the outer side thereof adapted to form apertures permitting fluid flow directly through said wall upon diminution of the wall thickness in service, the cross-sectional area of said openings being small enough to permit a substantial number thereof in the wall without materially affecting its strength, thermal insulation covering the outer surface of said tube, and 130 a plurality of small wires passing through said insulation, one end of each of said wires being located at one of the small openings in said tube Wall and the opposite ends of said wires protruding from the outer surface of said insulation whereby the visibility of the fluid flow from the apertures is insured.

3. A conduit for conveying fluids under superatmospheric pressure and high temperature comprising a metal pipe provided with a plurality of small openings extending partially through the pipe wall from the outer side thereof adapted to form apertures permitting fluid flow directly through said wall upon diminution of the wall thickness in service, the cross-sectional area of 145 said openings being small enough to permit a substantial number thereof in the wall without materially affecting its strength, thermal insulation covering' the outer surface of said pipe, and a. plurality of small tubes passing through said 150 rectly through said wall upon diminution of the Wall thickness in service, the cross-sectional area of said openings being small enough to permit a substantial number thereof inthe wall Without materially aifecting its strength, thermal insulation covering the outer surface of said pipe, and a. plurality of thin sheet metal annular rings placed at intervals along said pipe whereby said thermal insulation is separated into a plurality of tubular sections and the visibility of the fluid flow from the apertures is insured.

LUIS DE FLOREZ. 

